Should I renew AOPA membership?

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Flying h4x0r

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Flying h4x0r
How many of you guys are AOPA members? Is there anything about it you find useful?

My membership expires this month, and I'm thinking of letting it expire without renewing. The only useful service were the TFR alert emails, but I haven't really looked into any of their services (insurance, legal, medical, etc.) Do you guys find these other services useful or are they a rip off?

I'm really getting annoyed by their spam through email and regular mail. Makes them seem so desperate and gives me the feeling that the whole thing is a scam.
 
I let it expire several years ago.

I don't miss the AOPA rag at all. I found that I didn't read anything in it and would just toss it.

Note that some will suggest being a member to support AOPA's lobby efforts. Frankly I've been unimpressed with AOPA's influence.
 
I'm a member. They send good magazines.
 
I'd keep it. I have the renter's insurance and I do read the magazine. I sometimes use the flight planner. Their web site has access to the older articles.

Bob is unimpressed with their lobbying efforts- I don't know how effective they are, I think they have a positive (for us) influence, but I don't know how positive.
 
Renew. Even if you never avail yourself of all the various member services, AOPA is our one big voice with the FAA and Congress. When Craig Fuller talks, they know he speaks for nearly half a million voters with average incomes well up in the campaign-donation player range. AOPA does more to keep flying available and affordable for us than all the other alphabets put together. Support the organization which supports you.
 
I don't care gubmint can put $500 per flight users fees, $40 a gallon av gas and require you to win an ironman triathlon for a medical to fly part 103 and I still won't send one flippin penny to AOPA. Don't really give a crap about the spam or fee increases that most people whine about, They do not speak for me.
 
It is a tough call, really. I'd renew, but I enjoy reading the weekly email, and there is about 50%+ of the articles I read every month. Now I can't say I am a fan of their constant calls asking for donations.
 
Ron Levy said:
Renew. Even if you never avail yourself of all the various member services, AOPA is our one big voice with the FAA and Congress. When Craig Fuller talks, they know he speaks for nearly half a million voters with average incomes well up in the campaign-donation player range. AOPA does more to keep flying available and affordable for us than all the other alphabets put together. Support the organization which supports you.
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I'm not a spam fan either but I tell my friends that don't belong that they are freeloading on the organization that does the most for their flying liberty.

It's worth $40 for crying out loud!
 
Who does?

bartmc said:
I don't care gubmint can put $500 per flight users fees, $40 a gallon av gas and require you to win an ironman triathlon for a medical to fly part 103 and I still won't send one flippin penny to AOPA. Don't really give a crap about the spam or fee increases that most people whine about, They do not speak for me.
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Ron Levy said:
Renew. Even if you never avail yourself of all the various member services, AOPA is our one big voice with the FAA and Congress. When Craig Fuller talks, they know he speaks for nearly half a million voters with average incomes well up in the campaign-donation player range. AOPA does more to keep flying available and affordable for us than all the other alphabets put together. Support the organization which supports you.
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I disagree with that, I see them as ineffectual at influencing anything aviation at the federal level. Name one airport they have saved, show me how much cheaper their insurance is than any other. Show me how much better their flight planned is than Foreflight.

EAA has a bigger share of pilots than AOPA and has influenced the FAA to support old aircraft by the 43-13 as approved data, the EAA has pushed the fuel problem until they got 100VLL approved, the EAA has kept the home builders forefront in their efforts to keep aviation alive.

They get my bucks
 
flyingriki said:
I'm not a spam fan either but I tell my friends that don't belong that they are freeloading on the organization that does the most for their flying liberty.

It's worth $40 for crying out loud!
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And ill tell you that your fourty bux went to help try and close my airport.


I am no longer a member, and never will be again.
 
I dropped them last year... and I doubt I will ever sign up again. No regrets!
 
Good to know. Do you have any personal contact or influence with the other 534?

bartmc said:
Welp, my congress critter has called me personally. I write letters and sign petitions. So I do.
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I only joined AOPA for one reason - at the time I joined they were the only source of online WX (besides DUATS), airport diagrams and planning info, all of which is now available from other paid and free services that are more useful. I may abandon my membership though, I don't really use it. Other than to get the cool mag.
 
wabower said:
Good to know. Do you have any personal contact or influence with the other 534?
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Nope but I think you're punting on 3rd down if you just toss 40 bucks to AOPA and declare a moral victory for "doing your part". I'll give a kid a ride here and there and try to get more people interested, write my letters and sign the petitions, which i suspect is more that 98% of AOPA members do.
 
Tom-D said:
I disagree with that, I see them as ineffectual at influencing anything aviation at the federal level.
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Then you're not looking very hard.

EAA has a bigger share of pilots than AOPA
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EAA has less than half the membership.

They get my bucks
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EAA gets mine, too, but in terms of effectiveness in DC, they don't hold a candle to AOPA. Ask EAA -- they'll tell you the same. That's why they slipstream behind AOPA.
 
So you think giving a few rides is a better use of $40/year than supporting the primary GA lobbying group in DC? Do any of the people who ride with you vote on user fees or other legislation that is important to airplane owners?

bartmc said:
Nope but I think you're punting on 3rd down if you just toss 40 bucks to AOPA and declare a moral victory for "doing your part". I'll give a kid a ride here and there and try to get more people interested, write my letters and sign the petitions, which i suspect is more that 98% of AOPA members do.
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I am a member but might not renew. I hate the weekly calls of "we need money for this". Last month they sent me a dvd and said send us money for it or return it. I returned it that day and got a letter a month later asking for my payment. I called them and told them if they call to ask for money or send me anything else I wont renew.
 
Ron Levy said:
Then you're not looking very hard.

It doesn't require much looking to see they are not the origination I joined 25 years ago

EAA has less than half the membership.

and does twice as much for them. Do you see the AOPA getting the attention that the EAA does each year?

EAA gets mine, too, but in terms of effectiveness in DC, they don't hold a candle to AOPA. Ask EAA -- they'll tell you the same. That's why they slipstream behind AOPA.
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take your last "Pilot" mag and count the pages of actual aviation articles and subtract that number from the total pages and see what you have.

grab the latest copy of "Vintage" and do the same, you'll realize what the AOPA has become.
 
Is magazine content your litmus test of the effectiveness of the organization?

Tom-D said:
take your last "Pilot" mag and count the pages of actual aviation articles and subtract that number from the total pages and see what you have.

grab the latest copy of "Vintage" and do the same, you'll realize what the AOPA has become.
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They ain't perfect - I ain't either. I still think they provide valuable advocacy, and I am a member, and expect to be for the duration.

I am also a member of EAA. Same reason.

I like both magazines, too.
 
Flying h4x0r said:
How many of you guys are AOPA members?
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I'm a member of AOPA, EAA, and SSA. Compared to other aviation related expenses being a member of all three is peanuts.

Is there anything about it you find useful?
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Magazine is so-so. I'm in it for their lobbying. No one here who has complained of their lobbying efforts has proposed reasonable alternatives.

For example: right now there is a debate in D.C. about charging a $100 per flight fee on "corporate jets." At first blush that wouldn't seem to affect most of us so why should we care? But ever wonder what it will lead to? And what kind of new paper-work we might have to deal with in order to avoid our flights from getting tagged with that fee should it or something like it appear?

If you know where else your pennies would keep the bureaucratic monsters at bay, send them there. And let us know where that is so we can do the same.
 
Flying h4x0r said:
I'm really getting annoyed by their spam through email and regular mail. Makes them seem so desperate ...
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If you are referring to solicitations for donations, just ask them to stop, and they will. I did.

I now get about nine emails per month from AOPA, and these consist mostly of content like newsletters and articles, or announcements of safety seminars or other safety-related learning opportunities, and I'm okay with getting all that in my email.
 
What's all this spam people keep complaining about? I get very little from AOPA. I'm a member and will continue to be. They are the most effective voice for GA in Disneyland East. The renter's insurance isn't bad, either.
 
I've been an AOPA member since I was a student pilot. I'm in it for the lawyers and the lobbyists-I could care less about the Dirt Pounder sweepstakes.
 
NoHeat said:
If you are referring to solicitations for donations, just ask them to stop, and they will. I did.
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It's not like AOPA is being nice about. I believe AOPA is required by law to stop phone solicitations if told to stop.
 
Ghery said:
What's all this spam people keep complaining about? I get very little from AOPA. I'm a member and will continue to be. They are the most effective voice for GA in Disneyland East. The renter's insurance isn't bad, either.
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I received an "urgent" piece of mail from AOPA warning my that I needed to renew my aircraft insurance.

Except I don't use AOPA for insurance and had in fact paid my insurance the previous month. That "urgent" mail was just a scam.
 
Would you feel the same way if you had overlooked or forgotten to renew and the reminder caused you to obtain coverage (from whomever you choose?)
Bob Noel said:
I received an "urgent" piece of mail from AOPA warning my that I needed to renew my aircraft insurance.

Except I don't use AOPA for insurance and had in fact paid my insurance the previous month. That "urgent" mail was just a scam.
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wabower said:
Would you feel the same way if you had overlooked or forgotten to renew and the reminder caused you to obtain coverage (from whomever you choose?)
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Yes.

It wasn't a reminder to help people make sure they renew their insurance. It was an attempt to trick people. The scam claimed it was time to renew when in reality the time to renew was the previous month (or before that).

bottomline: it wasn't a "reminder"
 
So your position is that the association knowingly acted in bad faith, and was obligated to provide notice before expiration? If you had forgotten to renew at expiration, would a reminder during the following month have carried any urgency?


Bob Noel said:
Yes.

It wasn't a reminder to help people make sure they renew their insurance. It was an attempt to trick people. The scam claimed it was time to renew when in reality the time to renew was the previous month (or before that).

bottomline: it wasn't a "reminder"
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wabower said:
So your position is that the association knowingly acted in bad faith, and was obligated to provide notice before expiration? If you had forgotten to renew at expiration, would a reminder during the following month have carried any urgency?
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You are missing the point. AOPA has no obligation wrt my insurance. Apparently you missed the "I don't use AOPA for insurance"
 
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